tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48416211216705663472018-08-10T05:01:53.720-04:00Critical MassSidelights on the artsCharlotte Observernoreply@blogger.comBlogger190125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-80999469919349979532013-07-25T17:59:00.000-04:002013-07-25T17:59:07.677-04:00Artists wanted to exhibit works in Romare Bearden Park<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hey artists!&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">The Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation department is taking applications from artists who wish to exhibit their work at the Romare Bearden Park grand opening.</span></span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">The park, named for the Charlotte artist, will have its grand opening from Aug 30-Sept. 1 on S. Church St.&nbsp;</span></span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">Artists can download applications <a href="http://www.mintmuseum.org/_files/pages/Bearden-Park-Artist-Application.pdf">here</a>.</span></span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">The Mint Museum Uptown will give tours of its permanent Bearden gallery for free during the park's opening weekend.</span></span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: ZurichBT-RomanCondensed, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-80590895351068314522013-07-22T13:47:00.001-04:002013-07-22T13:47:32.058-04:00Jazz at the Bechtler adds showsThe jazz series at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art will now present each act twice due to popularity and sold-out shows.<br /><br />Beginning August 2, each Bechtler jazz event will include two concerts--one at 6 p.m. and one at 8:15 p.m. Doors open 30 minutes before the shows begin.<br /><br />The last show in this series, featuring Maria Howell, sold out several days before the concert. I was going to blog about it, but felt it would be cruel to provide info for a show you couldn't attend.<br /><br />August 2 will feature the Ziad Jazz Quartet playing Latin jazz. See the rest of the series outlined <a href="http://www.bechtler.org/Programs/Jazz-at-the-bechtler">here</a>.<br /><br />Tickets are free for museum members, though they should reserve tickets; $12 for non-memebers. You can purchase or reserve tickets <a href="https://purchaseonline.bechtler.org/public/">here</a>, or call 704-353-9200.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-59890695683351211422013-07-17T16:13:00.000-04:002013-07-17T16:27:46.100-04:00Tour de DisappointmentI've been looking forward to 2013 for years. Because two of my favorite things celebrate their centennial this summer-- the Tour de France and Stravinsky's ballet "The Rite of Spring"--I have (moronically) been referring to 2013 as my "year of destiny" for about five years in anticipation. Surely their convergence would mean good things for me.<br /><br />It's been a great year in many respects, but the actual Tour de France and "The Rite of Spring" have been real let downs. <a href="http://obscriticalmass.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-anniversary-effect-wrong-way-to.html"><span id="goog_838006598"></span>Here's<span id="goog_838006599"></span></a> why The Rite was disappointing, but let's focus on the Tour.<br /><br />This is going to require a little Tour de France 101; if you're a rabid fan like me, you can skip this paragraph. The Tour consists of 21 daily stages in which 9-person teams compete for various wins: stage wins (whoever crosses the finish line first that day); General Classification leader (whoever has the shortest time overall, marked by the yellow jersey); and other titles like "King of the Mountain" (best climber: polka-dotted jersey), best young rider (white jersey, awarded through points system to best under 25), and best sprinter (green jersey, also awarded through points system). The jerseys trade hands throughout the three weeks depending on who leads the competition, and the final winner is named in Paris on the last day.<br /><br />On Sunday, Chris Froome, who had already been wearing the yellow jersey for about a week, beat everybody up the lunar-looking Mont Ventoux, one of the toughest climbs in Tour history. He easily pulled away from his only contender that day, a 23-year-old Colombian rider (Nairo Quintana) who had an 8-mile climb to school every day as a child.<br /><br />Scenes like this are why you watch the Tour, this is how sports stars become heroes. Or it was until cycling's elaborate doping scandal mutilated the infinitesimal &nbsp;amount of support the sport received from Americans (it's not all Lance's fault, but you can blame him for all I care, I never liked the guy). After watching guys shoot away from their rivals on mountain passes as if shot out of a cannon, and then learning they had a positive drug test, it seems remiss not to question poor Froome. He's been more than civil with reporters who repeatedly ask him if he's a doper, but his patience is running thin. Who can blame him? He won the hardest stage of the Tour in its centennial year, and all anybody wants to talk about are the sins of past riders.<br /><br />His heroism seems even less believable after he won the time trial Wednesday. You mean he's the best climber <i>and </i>the best time trialist in the group?<br /><br />I don't want to think things like that, but spectators have two choices: they can join the camp of naivete or the camp of cynicism. Both feel awful. I find myself withdrawn and neutral, unable to amp up my usual excitement. For the record, that feels awful, too.<br /><br />The competition isn't disappointing, but the preservative hesitancy to feel anything for it certainly is. Let's hope time heals the wounds. And that Froome is telling the truth.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-61149079834795386742013-07-14T17:30:00.001-04:002013-07-14T17:41:10.365-04:00A new kind of CSA: Community Supported ArtCharlotte's arts community is taking a page from local farmers.<br /><br />Like the idea of community-supported agriculture (CSA), where people buy shares of farmers' produce and periodically receive a box of what they harvest, the Arts &amp; Science Council has announced that they'll have community-supported art.<br /><br />Same model, different yield: replace farmers with artists and produce with artwork.<br /><br />Here's how it works: the ASC commissioned 9 artists to create 50 pieces of limited edition artwork. The work will be wrapped and distributed to "share holders" at three events in September, October and November. <br /><br />You could get a variety of things: photographic prints, sculptures, line drawings, tea cups, a painting.<br /><br />“One of the things that makes a program like this so exciting is the mystery,” said Katherine Mooring, the ASC's vice president of cultural and community investment. “You don’t know what’s going to come in your share until you open it. Not only are you getting unique work from amazing local artists, but it’s a great way to expand your creative palate.” <br /><div><br />Shares can be purchased beginning at 10 a.m. on July 30 through <a href="http://artsandscience.org/">ArtsandScience.org</a> for $400. Only 50 shares will be available, and each shareholder will get a box of artwork at each of the three pick-up events.<br /><br />The nine commissioned artists are: <a href="http://ebfonseca.com/home.html">Elisa Berry Fonseca</a>, wire sculpture; <a href="http://www.carolinecbrown.com/">Caroline Brown</a>, mixed media painting; <a href="http://sharondowell.com/">Sharon Dowell</a>, mixed media painting; <a href="http://www.artinthedairy.net/rose.php">Rose Hawley</a>, fused glass; <a href="http://www.wingmakerartscollaborative.com/">Rebecca Haworth</a>, mixed media painting; <a href="http://www.tomookitamura.com/">Tomoo Kitamura</a>, ceramics; <a href="http://www.alex-mckenzie.com/">Alex McKenzie</a>, conceptual drawings; <a href="http://www.murphydigitalart.com/">Jeff Murphy</a>, digital art, photography; and Verna Witt, ceramics.</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-29493250550124685622013-07-10T11:13:00.004-04:002013-07-10T11:13:58.407-04:00Aggregation Transformation: an installation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Beginning on July 12, UNC Charlotte will display a collaborative installation called "Aggregation Transformation" created by four faculty members at the College of Arts + Architecture: Ryan Buyssens, Kelly Carlson-Reddig, Heather Freeman and Eric Waterkotte. The installation will be displayed in the college's Projective Eye Gallery.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There will be an opening reception at 6 p.m. on Friday. The installation will remain up through Sept. 13.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>The 20-foot work will include steel wire, bands, all covered with a mesh "skin" of sorts, creating a "vertical terrain." The installation also incorporates projections, animations, sculpture, robotics and print.<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 14.44444465637207px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 9pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MJ33KTwHK0Q/Ud10yRL_FHI/AAAAAAAAADQ/Jc5xPh_0YFk/s1600/Kelly+&amp;+Erik+cropped+sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="261" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MJ33KTwHK0Q/Ud10yRL_FHI/AAAAAAAAADQ/Jc5xPh_0YFk/s320/Kelly+&amp;+Erik+cropped+sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eric Waterkotte and Kelly Carlson-Reddig create "Aggregation Transformation," on view at UNC Charlotte's Projective Eye Gallery, July 12-Sept. 13.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-44457200948669429272013-07-08T17:10:00.004-04:002013-07-08T17:10:53.976-04:00Music for a rainy day...or daysIf you're like me, you're getting tired of the seemingly unending rain. Do we live in Seattle or Charlotte?<br /><br />I started digging around for some rain-related music, and there's a song for every raindrop Charlotte has seen in the last month. Here's a jumping off point for a larger playlist, or the "Best Of: 1970s Edition:"<br /><br />"Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone" by Bill Withers<br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/-xzDhLvhgQw?rel=0" width="420"></iframe> <br /><br />"Buckets of Rain" by Bob Dylan<br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/wpAqDLWstWE?rel=0" width="420"></iframe> <br /><br />"Riders on the Storm" by The Doors<br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/DED812HKWyM?rel=0" width="420"></iframe> <br /><br />"Who'll Stop the Rain" by Creedence Clearwater Revival<br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/lIPan-rEQJA?rel=0" width="420"></iframe> <br /><br />"Rainy Days and Mondays" by The Carpenters<br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/dPmbT5XC-q0?rel=0" width="420"></iframe>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-77920022315486725482013-07-05T15:18:00.001-04:002013-07-05T15:18:41.746-04:00Book by Gastonian wins national prize<div style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 22px; text-align: justify;">Gastonia artist Lore Spivey won first place at the Focus on Book Arts conference in Forest Grove, Ore. with her book, "13."&nbsp;</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 22px; text-align: justify;">"13" looks at the year 2013 (The Year of the Snake) and the spectrum of cultural beliefs and superstitions that surround the sometimes &nbsp;lucky, sometimes unlucky number.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gIaqao6fWrk/UdcYO2XLAlI/AAAAAAAAAC4/Oy28cAiJ9uA/s1600/13+box_book.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gIaqao6fWrk/UdcYO2XLAlI/AAAAAAAAAC4/Oy28cAiJ9uA/s320/13+box_book.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 22px; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 22px; text-align: justify;">Spivey won this award at the June 25-30 conference. To see photos of the interior and other books she has created, visit her <a href="http://www.artwithpop.com/">website</a>.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 22px; text-align: justify;">Spivey teaches theater at Forestview High School.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 22px; text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“I am very pleased and gratified to be chosen by the Focus On Book Arts Conference for this honor," she said. "It is nice to be recognized outside my local area."</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 22px; text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-51707573139470892342013-07-03T12:13:00.002-04:002013-07-03T12:13:03.381-04:00A dissonant and wonky "America"No doubt this Fourth of July will bring "America," or "My Country Tis of Thee," as it's more commonly called, to your ears. You may not get a chance to hear what I consider its greatest rendering, though, unless you plan to spend some time in the presence of a pipe organ, which, admittedly, isn't the setting most of us imagine for our country's birthday.<br /><br />American composer Charles Ives' work "Variations on America" presents the patriotic tune in a range of ways, some playful, some jubilant, some sarcastic, some dismal. As a person who experiences a wide spectrum of feelings and thoughts about my country, I find this version of patriotic music much more accommodating--it's less dependent on my good opinion and pride; it allows me to acknowledge the positives without feeling fake for ignoring the negatives.<br /><br />You've got to listen. I know the video is nine minutes long, but start it and listen while you ice your American flag cake.<br /><div><br /></div><div>"Variations on America" by Charles Ives (1874-1954)</div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/vvjh48Wh7ig?rel=0" width="420"></iframe> <div><br /><br /></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-11353385893163142262013-07-01T11:54:00.000-04:002013-07-01T11:54:48.763-04:00Summer Pops in the park this week<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">Any symphony's Fourth of July concert is always a crowd pleaser. The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra's 2013 offering includes all the favorites as well as some appropriate pieces that won't necessarily be heard around the country this week. Here's the line up:</span></span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">SMITH/Ochoa "Star-Spangled Banner"</span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">BAGLEY "National Emblem March"</span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">TRADITIONAL "Armed Forces March"</span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">COPLAND "Lincoln Portrait"</span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">HANDY/Wendel "St. Louis Blues"</span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">ELLINGTON/Hermann "Duke Ellington Fantasy"</span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">VARIOUS/Wendel "Back to the Fifties"</span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">SOUSA "Liberty Bell March"</span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">D'ANGELO "America the Beautiful"</span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">TCHAIKOVSKY "1812 Overture"</span><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">BERLIN/Ades "God Bless America"&nbsp;</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">This concert will be heard at 8:15 p.m. at Village Park (8th St. Greenway) in Kannapolis on Tuesday for free; and again at the same time Wednesday at Symphony Park (4400 Sharon Rd., behind SouthPark Mall) in Charlotte. Tickets are $10 for adults and free for children under 18 for the Symphony Park concert.</span></span><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-61112698844457201272013-06-26T15:23:00.000-04:002013-06-26T15:23:20.648-04:00High school students' self portraits, inspired by GiacomettiMallard Creek High School students visited the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art's "<a href="http://www.bechtler.org/Collection/Giacometti">Giacometti: Memory and Presence</a>" exhibit in January, looking for inspiration.&nbsp;<div><br /></div><div>The product--the students' self portraits in Giacometti's style--are hanging in the Ross Gallery at CPCC (Overcash Building, 1206 Elizabeth Ave.) through Aug. 5. There will be an opening reception today from 5:30-7 p.m.</div><div><br /></div><div>Giacometti's spindly statues represent one of the go-to faces of modern art, though the Bechtler exhibit focused on the twentieth-century artist wholistically, including sculptures as well as paintings and drawings.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRFleEYwXJI/Ucs_A1L3ThI/AAAAAAAAACQ/8FEWOciLSjc/s1600/students+working+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRFleEYwXJI/Ucs_A1L3ThI/AAAAAAAAACQ/8FEWOciLSjc/s320/students+working+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mallard Creek High School students work on self portraits inspired by modernist Alberto Giacometti.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ca3Yh7nW6xM/Ucs_ETFn6mI/AAAAAAAAACY/itF4V74yi3E/s1600/CPCCGallery_CMSSelf-Portrait2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ca3Yh7nW6xM/Ucs_ETFn6mI/AAAAAAAAACY/itF4V74yi3E/s320/CPCCGallery_CMSSelf-Portrait2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_Y1YuuF3oPg/Ucs_GUd8qfI/AAAAAAAAACg/rJTTws5csAM/s1600/CPCCGallery_CMSSelf-Portrait3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_Y1YuuF3oPg/Ucs_GUd8qfI/AAAAAAAAACg/rJTTws5csAM/s320/CPCCGallery_CMSSelf-Portrait3.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photos courtesy of Grace Cote.</div></div></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-11922749386841562052013-06-24T09:57:00.000-04:002013-06-24T09:57:20.774-04:00New music in CharlotteToday begins the second week of the <a href="http://www.charlottenewmusic.org/">Charlotte New Music Festival</a>.<br /><br />In its second year, this annual event provides composition and choreography students with two weeks of workshops, masterclasses, lectures and composition lessons with local, national and international composers and musicians.<br /><br />Composition teachers include John Allemeier, Craig Bove, Armando Bayolo, Mark Engebretson, Ronald Parks and Lawrence Dillon.<br /><br />A slew of guest musicians are also present to perform the new compositions. <br /><br />Works produced in festival will be premiered at 8 p.m. on Thursday at <a href="http://web.st-peters.org/">St. Peter's Episcopal Church</a>.<br /><br />At 8 p.m. on Friday, a concert at Levine Properties (301 E. 9th St.) will present music written in a speedwriting challenge.<br /><br />Saturday closes the festival with a presentation of the collaborative works. Music and dance pieces will be featured in the 8 p.m. concert, also at Levine Properties.<br /><br />All <a href="http://www.charlottenewmusic.org/concerts/">concert tickets</a> are $15. A full schedule of events is available in <a href="https://docs.google.com/a/charlotteobserver.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AuzmEbcNeeSJdHhEbUV1dDNCYTVETzZnWXlNZDNWNlE#gid=0">this document</a>.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-37338421525890847832013-06-20T13:39:00.000-04:002013-06-20T13:39:23.008-04:00Sum Art ShowAt 7 p.m. on Friday, the <a href="http://www.birdsongbrewing.com/">Birdsong Brewing Company</a> will host Sum Art Show--a summer-themed show featuring seven artists/designers. Many are from around here, but not everyone is local.<br /><br />In case the date's significance eludes you, Friday is the summer solstice.<br /><br />Artists include Cathleen Foley, Nick Irwin, KC Preslar, Dan Romanoski, Sam White, Karlie Winchell and Chris Cureton, who organized the event.<br /><br />The evening is free and is scheduled to last until 1 a.m. You can learn more <a href="http://www.sumartshow.com/">here</a>.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-62420648575712804612013-06-18T13:38:00.003-04:002013-06-19T08:42:52.877-04:00Charlotte cartoonist in final 3 on 'Strip Search'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gW2veBXNi1k/UcCg_Ria33I/AAAAAAAACYw/V-KD76vXITU/s1600/abby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gW2veBXNi1k/UcCg_Ria33I/AAAAAAAACYw/V-KD76vXITU/s200/abby.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>In the end of April, The Charlotte Observer published <a href="http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/04/28/4010859/charlotte-cartoonist-abby-howard.html">an article</a> about cartoonist Abby Howard, who grew up in Charlotte and is competing on&nbsp;"Strip Search," a&nbsp;reality game show for web cartoonists. At age 20, Howard is the youngest of a dozen cartoonist summoned to participate in the challenges.<br /><br />Now, she is in the final trio of contestants. In the final challenge, Howard was required to create a brand new comic with six strips, three character bios and one t-shirt design. Tuesday night, the final episode of "Strip Search" airs, revealing the winner. You can tune in to <a href="http://www.penny-arcade.com/strip-search">www.penny-arcade.com/strip-search</a>&nbsp;at 7:30 p.m. PST to see if Howard will win $15,000 and a year in the Penny Arcade studios.<br /><br />You can also check out Howard's personal web comic&nbsp;<a href="http://www.jspowerhour.com/comics/73">here</a>.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-35320657115077273592013-06-14T11:43:00.001-04:002013-06-14T11:43:20.935-04:00ArtSí celebrates their tenth anniversary<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">This weekend, ArtS</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">í opens their tenth-anniversary celebration with several events in Uptown.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">ArtS</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">í is Charlotte's arts community initative to support and connect Latino artists in Mecklenburg County.&nbsp;</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">The celebration--called Con A de Arte (A is for Art) will begin at 9 p.m. on Saturday with a kickoff party as Cosmos Caf</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">é. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">From 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, there will be a literary night at the West Boulevard Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. A closing reception and awards ceremony will be held from 6-9 p.m. on Thursday at the Mint Museum Uptown. Here, featured artists will respond to the exhibition "Sociales: D</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">ébora Arango Arrives Today," on view at the Mint through this Sunday.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Award winners will be recognized at the final event. Recipients include Edwin Gil, Queens University of Charlotte, Rosie Molinary and Lucilla Ruvalcaba.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">To learn more about these artists and events, visit <a href="http://www.artsicharlotte.org/">www.artsicharlotte.org</a>.&nbsp;</span></span><br /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-88823910767899521732013-06-13T13:27:00.003-04:002013-06-13T13:27:39.478-04:00Brevard Music Center 2013 season announcement<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; width: 650px;"><tbody><tr><td style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; width: 650px;"><tbody><tr><td style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px;" valign="top"><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" valign="top"><div><div style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px;"><br /></div><div style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px;">Having grown up just south of the North Carolina line, N.C. was always a special destination for my family--we only went as a treat, usually for good food or good music. Brevard Music Center's summer festival received many visits, and a file of my best memories include listening to an excellent orchestral or operatic performance in Brevard's open air auditorium as the summer storms hissed in the trees just a few feet away.</div><div style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px;">Between June 21 and August 4, Brevard will present orchestral, opera, wind ensemble, new music, chamber music and recital programs.</div>Opera productions include Franz Lehár's "The Merry Widow," Peter Brook’s "The Tragedy of Carmen," Verdi’s "Falstaff" and a new feature: Opera in a Box. Composer Michael Ching &nbsp; will bring his&nbsp;work-in-progress and finish it with the help of Brevard's opera students and staff.&nbsp;</div><div style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px;">The orchestra will play "Scheherazade," Tchaikovsky's symphonies nos. 5 and 6, the "Pines of Rome" and Schubert's "Unfinished Symphony," to name a few. Classical guitarist Celil Refik Kaya will join the orchestra to play Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranuez." Conductors will include Keith Lockhart, JoAnn Falletta, Matthias Bamert, Jeff Tyzik, Grant Llewellyn and Ken Lam.</div><div style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px;">Additionally, Brevard puts on free events, pops concerts and pre-concert events, and on July 23, Garrison Keillor will host "A Prairie Home Companion" on their Radio Romance Tour.</div><div style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px;">To see a full list of festival events and ticket prices, visit <a href="http://www.brevardmusic.org/">www.brevardmusic.org</a>.</div><div style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div style="display: block; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 10px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="display: block; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div><br /></div></div><div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5;"><br /></div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-74580361534975696722013-06-09T18:55:00.000-04:002013-06-09T18:55:10.841-04:00Last week to connectThis is the last week <a href="http://www.mccollcenter.org/">McColl Center for Visual Art</a> will house "Connectivity," an exhibit curated by <a href="http://www.cynthia-reeves.com/">Cynthia-Reeves Projects</a>.<br /><br />With a variety of traditional and unusual media, the pieces in "Connectivity" address interaction and intersection--how and why we connect. Learn more in <a href="http://www.mccollcenter.org/blog/view/349/qa-connectivity">this Q&amp;A</a> with the curator.<br /><br />Whether it be John Grade's wood and resin sphere&nbsp;or Janet Echelman's colorful net sculpture, something on view will hold your attention.<br /><br />The first pieces I saw when entering the repurposed church were created by Beth Ganz. Two large prints of vines hang beside each other, covered with wax paper painted with lines mimicking the vine directions. The black and white print juxtaposes the bright--sometimes neon--paint. I haven't worked out why the pieces resonated so strongly with me, but I have envisioned the wax and paint covering on every framed thing in my home.<br /><br />Check it out. The show ends Saturday.<br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-87197277043039790512013-06-05T22:34:00.002-04:002013-06-05T22:34:21.545-04:00Classical musicians making fun of classical musiciansLast weekend, I had the extreme pleasure of attending a chamber music concert at <a href="http://spoletousa.org/">Spoleto Festival USA</a>. I attended each of the 11 concerts in the 2012 season and have looked forward to this season since the day it ended last year.<div><br /></div><div>The programs are adventurous, the musicians are impeccable and spirited and Geoff Nuttall, the series director, earns the superlative of the best classical music presenter I have ever seen (I am more sure of this every time I see him). No one regards the music more highly than he, but he also displays great irreverence toward it, hitting on my favorite combination of qualities: a commitment to excellence without taking things too seriously. This is a big part of Nuttall's success and popularity.</div><div><br /></div><div>Nuttall introduced a viola and piano duo with a mixture of undying devotion to its composer and...viola jokes.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Mind you, this category of humor adapts easily to whatever your favorite instrument to hate is; I changed "viola" to "bassoon" for my editor, who loves to mock the bass double reed. Here are Nuttall's jokes:</div><div><br /></div><div>What do lightning and a violist's fingers have in common?</div><div>They never strike the same place twice.</div><div><br /></div><div>What's the difference between a viola and an onion?</div><div>Nobody cries when you cut up a viola.</div><div><br /></div><div>What does the Royal London Philharmonic viola section have in common with The Beatles?</div><div>Neither have played together since the 1970s.</div><div><br /></div><div>Feel free to appropriate these for whatever instrument plagues you--they work especially nicely for the saxophone or bagpipes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's a bonus joke, not heard at Spoleto:&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>What's the difference between a viola and a vacuum cleaner?</div><div>You don't have to plug a viola in for it to suck.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ba-dum ching.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-61013784629776696362013-06-03T12:52:00.001-04:002013-06-04T10:23:48.837-04:00The real delight of 'Homeland': TV bingeYou probably already know this: The Charlotte Observer hosted a television cast and crew of 65 people--including Claire Danes--last Tuesday when "Homeland" used our newsroom to film a scene for their third season.&nbsp;Read more about that&nbsp;<a href="http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/05/28/4068641/homeland-brings-claire-danes-to.html">here</a>.<br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Those of us who grew up watching Danes struggle through adolescent turmoil as Angela Chase in "My So-Called Life" have not forgotten her teenage heroism; I&nbsp;worked hard not to blurt approval of how she dealt with Jordan Catalano when she walked past my desk.<br /><br />The filming was exciting, but perhaps more exciting was the excuse to engage in a favorite past time: binge TV.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Despite my admiration for Danes, I hadn't seen a single episode of "Homeland" when we got word that the show would be in the newsroom (This is almost entirely because "Homeland" isn't on any of the internet TV providers--Hulu, Netflix, etc.--you can watch it on Showtime's website, but you have to have a television subscription to access it online, and I haven't had a TV in my home for ten years. That didn't stop me, though: I paid to add Showtime to my parents' cable package for the month so I could watch it online--it's my duty as a cultural reporter.).<br /><br />I gave myself two weeks to watch two 12-episode seasons, definitely a time commitment with hour-long episodes (read: binge opportunity). I won't tell you how many episodes I watched a day, or, consequently, how many hours of sleep I missed, but it didn't take the whole two weeks.<br /><br />I'm always a little ashamed if I let myself watch a few hours of internet TV (hence the long and justifying lead in), but the more I bare my guilt to close friends, the more I see how common TV binging is.<br /><br />Netflix knows about that millennial weakness, too. That's why they've been releasing shows all at once, like the fourth season of "Arrested Development" and "House of Cards." For the record, I have only watched 2 episodes of AD, and on two separate days, no less (am I feverish?).<br /><br />SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT READ THE NEXT PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN THE END OF SEASON TWO.<br /><br />Now comes the hard part: waiting for new episodes, just like in the old days (two years ago). After finishing season 2 of "Homeland," I'm ravenous to know what Saul will do as head of the CIA. Is this good or bad news for Carrie? Withdrawal from binge TV is rough.<br /><br />A friend and I discussed the phenomenon of binge television watching last night. His thoughts: "This is America! What do you mean I can't load the next episode??"<br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-10088281791369415942013-05-29T15:49:00.000-04:002013-05-29T15:49:20.165-04:0010 ways to celebrate "The Rite of Spring" centennialIt's here. 100 years ago today, Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" debuted in Paris, telling the story of pagan springtime rituals with jagged rhythm and choreography. 100+ theories suggest reasons for the riot that ensued.<br /><br />You don't want to take any <a href="http://obscriticalmass.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-anniversary-effect-wrong-way-to.html">chances</a> with your celebration, because it's going to be a long time before another round number comes up, so you might want to take matters into your own hands. Here are a few humble suggestions to mark the centennial passing of "The Rite."<br /><br /><b>10</b>. Play a bassoon in an abnormally high range. If you engage in this form of celebration, don't be surprised if you set an ancient pagan ritual in motion.<br /><br /><b>9</b>. Only travel by stomping.<br /><br /><b>8</b>. Get down on your hands and knees and kiss the earth.<br /><br /><b>7</b>. Along with your boos and hisses, bake a cake, put 100 candles in it, and throw it on stage in the riot you start at your nearest theater.<br /><br /><b>6</b>. Go to France and talk with a Russian accent.<br /><br /><b>5</b>. Paint some primitivist backdrops for your home.<br /><br /><b>4</b>. Take time to honor your elders.<br /><br /><b>3</b>. Dress in something heavy--long skirt, long sleeves, tall boots. If you're worried about being hot, don't worry, you're going to be hot. To truly celebrate, you should be dancing like a maniac.<br /><br /><b>2</b>. Whether you go to a fortune teller or read the stars, definitely predict the future.<br /><br /><b>1</b>. Sacrifice a virgin.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-62986198446544359502013-05-28T21:39:00.001-04:002013-05-28T21:39:07.309-04:00"Sumer is icumen in"It looks like our cool spring is coming to a close. There's a song for that.<br /><br />"Sumer is icumen in," or "Summer has come in" exemplifies the 13th-century rota (Latin for "wheel"), something similar to our idea of a canon or round (like "Row, row, row your boat"). It was composed around 1250 in Wessex English, so some words are familiar, but most aren't.<br /><br />Here's one of many text translations:<br /><br />&nbsp; &nbsp;Summer has come in, loudly sing cuckoo!<br />&nbsp; &nbsp;The seed grows and the meadow blooms<br />&nbsp; &nbsp;And the wood springs anew, sing cuckoo!<br />&nbsp; &nbsp;The ewe bleats after the lamb, the cow lows after the calf.<br />&nbsp; &nbsp;The bullock stirs, the buck-goat turns, merrily sing cuckoo!<br />&nbsp; &nbsp;Cuckoo, cuckoo, well you sing, cuckoo!<br />&nbsp; &nbsp;Don't ever you stop now, sing cuckoo now! Sing cuckoo!<br /><br />Give it a listen as you welcome summer:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZWWEHAswpFI?rel=0" width="420"></iframe>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-88199795382581096662013-05-24T15:56:00.003-04:002013-05-24T15:56:24.776-04:00My three BsSome outdated version of music appreciation taught the grandeur of the three Bs--Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. No offense, boys (except to Brahms: lighten up, buddy), but I'm going to give you my three Bs. These pieces reliably exhilarate&nbsp;me every time I hear them.<br /><br />In no particular order:<br /><br /><b>Brubeck's "Unsquare Dance"</b><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fmBkL3iEbN4?rel=0" width="400"></iframe><br />Dave Brubeck's playful asymmetrical rhythm brings a freshness to jazz I always crave. There's a great Youtube video of some modernist ho-down choreography, but tragically, the sound has been warped.<br /><br /><b>Beck: Cell Phones Dead</b><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gnpvEvuiFoQ?rel=0" width="400"></iframe><br />Beck has always been a favorite, and this song demonstrates everything I like about his music. The coda, in particular, causes a&nbsp;transcendent experience every time I hear it (it shames the coda on "Hey Jude"). If you ask me any of life's daunting questions <i>while </i>the latter half of this song is playing, I can give you a great answer.&nbsp;<br /><br /><b>Barber: Violin Concerto, Op. 14</b><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MdRD6gEa9CY?rel=0" width="400"></iframe><br />I first heard this concerto in 2009 from a front-row seat at The Philadelphia Orchestra. I bought the ticket cheaply at the last minute, and though a front-row orchestra seat isn't usually ideal, I relished the soloist's proximinity; I could have shined his shoes without standing up. The piece functioned like a soundtrack to the things I was dealing with, lending some semblance of organicism to what felt chaotic on its own.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-70413746362296304352013-05-23T06:14:00.003-04:002013-05-23T06:14:48.205-04:00North Carolina has seen an 8-percent increase in creative jobs over the past five yearsIf you're an advocate for creativity and the arts, get ready to be uplifted.<br /><br />Last week, the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources announced that the Creative Vitality Index (CVI)--a national report that measures the creative economy's health every year--shows an increase of more than 8 percent in creative occupations jobs in North Carolina over the past five years. The creative industry provides almost 320,000 jobs to North Carolinians.<br /><br />The increase took place in positions including architects, librarians, fine artists, designers, performers, photographers and public relations specialists.<br /><br />Here are the CVI's specific findings for North Carolina:<br /><br /><ul><li>Creative industries are directly and indirectly responsible for almost 320,000 full-time, part-time and sole-proprietor jobs. This figure represents 6 percent of North Carolina's overall workforce. These creative industry jobs generate over $12 billion in wages, salaries and benefits--$2 billion more than the impact four years ago.</li><li>The number of jobs in creative occupations increased by more than 8 percent over the past five years to 137,225 total creative jobs. This figure represents nearly 3 percent of the state's workforce. Between 2010 and 2011 our state gained 6,833 creative full-time, part-time and sole-proprietor positions in creative occupations.</li><li>Creative industries in North Carolina generate more than $18 billion in revenues and more than $7 billion in exports.</li></ul>You can view the 2013 Creative North Carolina fact sheet <a href="http://ncarts.org/creative_economy">here</a>.<br /><br /><table bgcolor="#F3E9E2" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: #f3e9e2; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" rowspan="1" style="margin: 0px;" width="100%"><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #323232; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-34908571764130858772013-05-20T15:39:00.000-04:002013-05-20T15:39:02.354-04:00The assaultAs I write this, about 1,000 cyclists from around the world are huffing it up the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi River.<br /><br />The annual <a href="http://www.freewheelers.info/assaults/index.html">Assault on Mt. Mitchell</a>, a 102.7-mile ride, began at 6:30 this morning in Spartanburg, S.C., ending at Mount Mitchell's peak--that's an elevation of 6,683 feet.<br /><br />The pros finish in about five hours. I know a guy who once took 12 (talk about masochism), and if I remember correctly, he was the last finisher.<br /><br />The ride contains 11,000 feet of climbing--4,000 in the first 70 miles and 7,000 in the last 30. Check out <a href="http://www.freewheelers.info/assaults/assaults-general-info.html">this graphic</a> half way down the page to make sure you're properly impressed. Whether first or last, cyclists usually take the same amount of time to ride the first 70 miles as they do the last 30.<br /><br />Several hundred riders signed up for The Assault on Mt. Marion, stopping at the 70-mile point, a respectable ride no matter who you ask. They have&nbsp;barbecue&nbsp;and showers at Marion's summit--who in their right mind would agree to ride 30 more vertical miles?<br /><br />So if you know someone who has ridden either assault today, or if you see any sweaty people in spandex looking tired, think about how many miles you didn't ride today and give them a pat on the back.<br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-31758933782678495732013-05-17T17:07:00.001-04:002013-05-17T17:07:35.006-04:00Charlotte's Children Choir and Charlotte Folk Society join forces for "The Great American Folk Song" event<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.1875px;">This Saturday, the Charlotte Children's Choir teams up with the Charlotte Folk Society for a concert featuring "The Great American Folk Song." The Descant, Treble, Lyric and Concert choirs will perform traditional songs and folk harmonies with a string band. The folk society will provide musicians on the guitar, banjo, fiddle, bass and mandolin.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.1875px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.1875px;">When: 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 18</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.1875px;">Where: Matthews United Methodist Church, 801 S. Trade St., Matthews, NC</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.1875px;">Tickets: $8-$10; 704-372-1000 or&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.carolinatix.org/default.asp?tix=59&amp;objId=3800">www.carolinatix.org</a>.<br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.1875px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.1875px;"><a href="http://charlottechildrenschoir.org/">The Charlotte Children's Choir</a> is a nonprofit organization that provides music education to Charlotte's youth, ages 8-18. Their education is performance based.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.1875px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.1875px;"><a href="http://www.folksociety.org/">The Charlotte Folk Society</a>, conceived in 1982, preserves and promotes the traditional folk arts in the Piedmont region, including music, crafts, dance and folklore.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.1875px;">With such a rich regional musical history, this should be a great concert!</span></span><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841621121670566347.post-36718002182917608802013-05-15T06:48:00.001-04:002013-05-16T12:34:29.732-04:00A new batch of artists at McCollMcColl Center for Visual Art has seven new affiliate artists. On Tuesday night, they each introduced their work. Here's what they shared:<br /><br /><ul><li>Jason Watson's (drawing, printmaking) work has these elements in common: they're on paper, they include bodies or figures and collage and found materials usually play a role. Watson likes to spend time in museums or thrift stores that have carved busts--he sketches the heads and later incorporates them into his work.</li><li>Linda Luise Brown (painting) creates abstract, colorful, non-representation paintings. A lot of her process is spent priming her canvas so that her starting surface resembles an older material. Her paintings hint towards landscape, though she has "dissolved" the edges of any noticeable shapes.</li><li>Virginia (G.H.) Boyd (mixed media, printmaking) said she makes art to exercise things from her head. She makes pieces profiling women mavericks in the South, contradicting the fragile and dim-witted stereotype that goes along with the Southern Belle.</li><li>Natalie Bork (mixed media) takes inspiration from an Italian tradition of carving into glass. She creates a similar feel by layer paint onto pieces of metal and carving the surface, revealing the layers of color. She also embraces wabi sabi,&nbsp;the Japanese aesthetic that fixates on imperfections.</li><li>Natalie Abrams (encaustic) uses a wax-based substance to explore the dimension between painting and sculpture. Often on plywood, she combines ribbons of wax with pools of it, creating a topography reminiscent of the ocean floor.&nbsp;</li><li>Jennifer Parham Giloman (drawing, painting, mixed media) looks at how memory defines who we think we are in her work. She often uses figures in domestic materials--wallpaper, fabric--to represent loss, layering or excising parts of pastoral scenes.</li><li>Aspen Hochhalter (photography) explores wet-plate collodion, a photographic process from the mid nineteenth century. She experiments by pigmenting her photographs with the ash from burned photos or hair.</li></ul><div>Charlotte can look forward to the work these artists produce during their time in McColl's studio space.</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0